Genetic and Shared-Environment Effects on Stature and Lifespan. A Study of Dutch Birth Cohorts (1785–1920) Based on Genealogies
Historical demography is generally concerned with the changing economic, social and normative contexts of human behaviour and health outcomes. To most historical demographers, the 'genetic' component of behaviour and health is either unknown or assumed to be constant. However, several stu...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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International Instititute of Social History
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Historical Life Course Studies |
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| Online Access: | https://hlcs.nl/article/view/13510 |
| _version_ | 1797736159033425920 |
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| author | Jan Kok |
| author_facet | Jan Kok |
| author_sort | Jan Kok |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Historical demography is generally concerned with the changing economic, social and normative contexts of human behaviour and health outcomes. To most historical demographers, the 'genetic' component of behaviour and health is either unknown or assumed to be constant. However, several studies point at the shift over time in the relative importance of environment and genes: in periods and social groups with strong normative or economic constraints on behaviour, the 'genetic potential' is often not realized. Therefore, to some extent, the waning of environmental constraints on heritability plays a role in changes in demographic outcomes over time. Determining the relative importance of heritability versus shared environment in historical populations for which only genealogies are available poses a challenge. Kin may live in different periods, and in different cultural and social settings. This explorative paper analyses the association between heights of conscripted relatives, as well as their life span. I estimate how the associations are affected by respectively genetic relatedness, shared historical period and shared social and geographical environment. Furthermore, I make a distinction between kin related via the mother versus kin related via the father. All kinds of kin are involved in the analysis: (half, full and twin) brothers, fathers, grandfathers, uncles and cousins. The data consist of about 3,000 men culled from Texel island genealogies, which also include descendants of families who had left the island. Life span has a weak, but still discernible, genetic element. The heritability of height is much stronger, especially at age 19/20. The correlations of mother’s kin with her son's heights are stronger than those of her husband's kin. The analysis does not yield a consistent effect of a protective environment on kin correlations in either height or life span.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T13:09:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ad977e7c991f48c2a88725bedc658bd7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2352-6343 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T13:09:34Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | International Instititute of Social History |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Historical Life Course Studies |
| spelling | doaj.art-ad977e7c991f48c2a88725bedc658bd72023-08-28T06:38:02ZengInternational Instititute of Social HistoryHistorical Life Course Studies2352-63432023-08-011310.51964/hlcs13510Genetic and Shared-Environment Effects on Stature and Lifespan. A Study of Dutch Birth Cohorts (1785–1920) Based on GenealogiesJan Kok0Radboud University Nijmegen Historical demography is generally concerned with the changing economic, social and normative contexts of human behaviour and health outcomes. To most historical demographers, the 'genetic' component of behaviour and health is either unknown or assumed to be constant. However, several studies point at the shift over time in the relative importance of environment and genes: in periods and social groups with strong normative or economic constraints on behaviour, the 'genetic potential' is often not realized. Therefore, to some extent, the waning of environmental constraints on heritability plays a role in changes in demographic outcomes over time. Determining the relative importance of heritability versus shared environment in historical populations for which only genealogies are available poses a challenge. Kin may live in different periods, and in different cultural and social settings. This explorative paper analyses the association between heights of conscripted relatives, as well as their life span. I estimate how the associations are affected by respectively genetic relatedness, shared historical period and shared social and geographical environment. Furthermore, I make a distinction between kin related via the mother versus kin related via the father. All kinds of kin are involved in the analysis: (half, full and twin) brothers, fathers, grandfathers, uncles and cousins. The data consist of about 3,000 men culled from Texel island genealogies, which also include descendants of families who had left the island. Life span has a weak, but still discernible, genetic element. The heritability of height is much stronger, especially at age 19/20. The correlations of mother’s kin with her son's heights are stronger than those of her husband's kin. The analysis does not yield a consistent effect of a protective environment on kin correlations in either height or life span. https://hlcs.nl/article/view/13510AnthropometricsLife expectancyHeritabilityEnvironmentConscripts |
| spellingShingle | Jan Kok Genetic and Shared-Environment Effects on Stature and Lifespan. A Study of Dutch Birth Cohorts (1785–1920) Based on Genealogies Historical Life Course Studies Anthropometrics Life expectancy Heritability Environment Conscripts |
| title | Genetic and Shared-Environment Effects on Stature and Lifespan. A Study of Dutch Birth Cohorts (1785–1920) Based on Genealogies |
| title_full | Genetic and Shared-Environment Effects on Stature and Lifespan. A Study of Dutch Birth Cohorts (1785–1920) Based on Genealogies |
| title_fullStr | Genetic and Shared-Environment Effects on Stature and Lifespan. A Study of Dutch Birth Cohorts (1785–1920) Based on Genealogies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Genetic and Shared-Environment Effects on Stature and Lifespan. A Study of Dutch Birth Cohorts (1785–1920) Based on Genealogies |
| title_short | Genetic and Shared-Environment Effects on Stature and Lifespan. A Study of Dutch Birth Cohorts (1785–1920) Based on Genealogies |
| title_sort | genetic and shared environment effects on stature and lifespan a study of dutch birth cohorts 1785 1920 based on genealogies |
| topic | Anthropometrics Life expectancy Heritability Environment Conscripts |
| url | https://hlcs.nl/article/view/13510 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jankok geneticandsharedenvironmenteffectsonstatureandlifespanastudyofdutchbirthcohorts17851920basedongenealogies |